Intel Pentium D 950 TDP lowered to 95W

Intel has given its 65nm dual-core Pentium D 950 processor the Enhanced SpeedStep Technology (EIST), dropping the maximum thermal design power from 130W to 95W.

The change arises from Intel's decision to equip the chip with its Pentium D 9xx series C-1 core update. Late last month, it told customers it would be upgrading the chip family from its current, B-1 core. As a result, it said, the 3.2GHz 940 would run on a 95W 'mainstream' mobo rather than the originally specified 130W 'performance' boards.

Now, it seems 3.4GHz 950 will also, Intel reveals in customer-oriented documentation seen by Reg Hardware. The 950 was always due for conversion to the C-1 core, but the chip giant has clearly looked again at its sums and found that the 950 will run in a 95W envelope after all.